Using Social Impact Evidence to Secure Community Funding

Organisation: Anywhere Heritage Trust
Location: Small town in the West Midlands
Heritage focus: Restoring and interpreting a 19th-century textile mill as a community heritage centre

The challenge

Anywhere Heritage Trust, a volunteer-led organisation, was preparing a funding application to a local community foundation. The grant would support an events programme planned as part of a bigger project to develop an unused mill building into a heritage and community centre for local residents. The application needed to show how the heritage would be used to improve the lives of local people.

The process

Identifying the evidence

The team started by exploring the ‘What We Already Know’ section of each of the 6 areas of social impact for heritage. These pages highlight the wide-ranging social benefits of heritage, including community cohesion, wellbeing, local pride, and skills development.

Connecting evidence to local outcomes

The trust reviewed their own project goals and aligned them with key findings from Historic England’s evidence:

• They decided the project could focus on reducing loneliness and social isolation. They looked at the Research Evidence for the Social Impact of Heritage and noticed that under the Loneliness and Isolation heading, there was evidence to show that volunteering in heritage projects can foster intergenerational friendships, build social networks, and provide a sense of purpose
• They also noticed the evidence which highlights the role of heritage in fostering local pride

Incorporating the evidence into the application

Drawing directly from Historic England’s data, the trust included the following statements in their funding bid:

"Heritage is proven to support wellbeing and social connection. Our planned events and volunteer programmes will reduce isolation in a community where over 20% of residents live alone."

"According to Public First Poll, historic buildings are the third most important source of local pride for people. Our project will provide accessible heritage experiences for a town with limited cultural infrastructure."

Making the case for data collection

The trust committed to understanding social impact using indicators recommended by Historic England, showing the funder that they would use them to track outcomes such as volunteer satisfaction, visitor engagement, and community partnerships over time.

Conclusion

The application was successful. The community foundation noted that the use of national evidence strengthened the case for impact, while the commitment to future data collection showed the project’s sustainability and accountability.